Backup
by Leonhart17
Summary: *One Shot* "She'll never judge me, tease me.  And I can help her.  I can speak for the dead."    That was the first day he threw a punch when one of the guys at the Robber called Dr. Isles queen of the dead. Set in season 1. *light J/M, Frost*


First R&I fic - let me know if any of them seem off to you...

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><p>"She'll never judge me, tease me. And I can help her. I can speak for the dead."<p>

That was the first day he threw a punch when one of the guys at the Robber called Dr. Isles queen of the dead. Crowe's jaw was hard as shit, but it was worth it. The Doc was good people and she didn't laugh when he got sick. The least he could do was stop anyone who laughed at her.

He should have known to expect backup.

Jane Rizzoli didn't stop at her desk, rounding to his side and standing there with her arms crossed over her chest. "What the hell, Frost?"

"What?" he asked, looking up at his partner.

In answer, she snatched his hand off the keyboard. "This. What the hell is this?"

He blinked, surprised that she'd noticed the swollen scrapes on his knuckles. Of course, it shouldn't have surprised him, she was a veteran detective. "I don't…it's private."

"Well, come on. Get up," she said, waving. "You're at least going to get Maura to take a look at you. I can't have your joints all stiff when I need you to watch my back," Jane told him.

"Oh, no. I'm fine, Jane," he protested, pulling his hand back gently in an attempt to finish the discussion. Jane's poking would only lead to the realization that he was sticking up for the ME. Not that he thought Jane wouldn't appreciate his efforts, but he knew how protective his partner was of her best friend.

She frowned at him, suspicious. "You're not telling me something. What is it? Who'd you hit?"

"Jane…"

"Don't 'Jane' me," the brunette objected. "Who'd you hit, Frost? You're my partner. If something needs to be taken care of, I've got your back, you know? What's up?" He glanced at his computer and the files on the desk before he met her eyes. "Tell me," she insisted gruffly, resuming her arms folded posture.

"I decked Crowe," he finally admitted.

Jane laughed. "Oh, well, I've been wanting to do that for years," she said, swatting his shoulder. "What'd he do this time?" Frost's expression dropped again and she scowled. "Frost, what did he do?"

"He was running his mouth, that's all."

Jane's frown deepened. "And you hit him. That doesn't seem like you, Frost…" She took a seat on the corner on his desk as she considered. "But you're an honorable guy, so he probably wasn't talking about you. That leaves me and Maura." He blinked at her and she smirked. "I'm a detective, Frost. And Crowe's an asshole. What did he say about me?" He didn't speak and she narrowed her eyes in realization. "That bastard! Where is he?"

"That's why I didn't want to tell you," he said quickly, grabbing the sleeve of her blazer to keep his partner in her seat. "She's always so nice to me, I couldn't stand anyone saying anything about her."

Jane blinked, touched. "You're a good guy, Frost. And next time anyone says anything, I've got your back."

Neither one of them should have expected to get away with it the next time, Maura marching in with a first aid kit and settling herself on the corner of Jane's desk. "Let me see it," she said briskly, distracted with sorting through her kit.

"See what?" Jane asked, playing dumb with a glance over their monitors at Frost and minutely shaking her head to encourage him to keep his mouth shut.

"You and Frost both have lacerations on your hands that indicate that you were each in a fist fight," Maura explained. "Frost, I'll bandage yours once I'm finished with Jane's."

"There's no need, Doc," Frost denied politely. "I'm fine."

She gave him a considering glance over her shoulder, lips pursed. "I'll be there in a few minutes," she reiterated. "Jane…" She turned her head back to her best friend and lifted an eyebrow in expectation.

"Maura…" The detective matched her tone, shaking her head. "It's not big deal."

"Who were you fighting? Were you both in the same fight?" Her eyes traveled between the partners but both of them had the same carefully blank expression on their faces. She narrowed her focus to Jane, leaning in. "Who were you brawling with, Jane?"

Jane couldn't meet Maura's eyes or she knew she'd tell the truth, her best friend's inability to lie apparently rubbing off on her whenever she was trying to lie to Maura. "Nobody," she answered her computer screen, glancing down helplessly when Maura's fingers touched the scrapes on her nearer right hand before the gentle touch slid down to the knot of scar tissue in the center of her hand.

"Jane." Her name was a soft whisper, Maura's breath tickling her ear and making wisps of her hair move.

"Crowe." She hadn't meant to tell and she could hear Frost rising from his chair to refresh his coffee. So much for having each other's backs.

"Why would you punch Detective Crowe?" Maura asked, obviously confused, but she leaned back out of the brunette's space graciously.

Jane shook her head as she looked up at her friend from her chair. "He's an asshole," she said vaguely, gesturing with her free hand. "Maura, it's really not a big deal."

The doctor frowned at her, trying to work it out in her mind. Jane could have a temper, but she would never punch someone without provocation. That, combined with Frost's injuries, who, in spite of their wildly different personalities, subscribed to a moral code that was very similar to Jane's, convinced her that they'd been together, watching each other's backs, and possibly standing up for someone. She knew Jane didn't see it in herself, but Jane could be quite the hero sometimes.

"Did he say something about me?" She was no idiot, she knew how people around the station saw her, how they teased behind her back. She didn't like to guess, but in this case, she didn't feel like it was much of a guess. Jane would fight to defend someone else before she would start a fight over her own reputation. And Barry would stand by his partner. And they were both her friends.

The detective was avoiding her eyes and she had her confirmation. Jane couldn't look at her and lie. "He's an ass," she repeated herself insistently. "Maura-" She froze as lips touched her cheek, the doctor planting a soft, lingering kiss there.

"Thank you, Jane," Maura whispered against her skin, the fingers of their joined hands lacing together.

Jane's response was hoarser than normal, husky words breathed into blonde hair. "Totally worth it."


End file.
